Test Your Baking Smarts

Does your baking stop at the pre-made dough you can buy at the grocery store? Or do you make every cookie and cake from scratch? Find out how much you know about baking those beloved treats by taking this quiz.

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Question 1 of 10

What kind of flour will make your cake the crumbliest?

all-purpose flour

cake flour

Cake flour has the most soft wheat and the least amount of hard wheat of the flours. The result is a lower gluten content. Gluten is the protein in flower that allows it to stretch. So, the less gluten, the more crumble.

pastry flour

Question 2 of 10

Colorful silicone baking pans are both pretty and versatile. What kinds of temperatures can they handle?

450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius)

500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Celsius)

Silicone baking pans can handle temperature up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (260 degrees Fahrenheit). They can also go into the microwave and the dishwasher.

550 degrees Fahrenheit (288 degrees Celsius)

Question 3 of 10

What fruit puree is often used as a fat substitute in baking?

applesauce

Applesauce contains a lot of pectin compared to other fruit purees. Pectin coats the air bubbles and prevents tunnels in your baked goods. But, applesauce is not quite as effective as the fatty shortening it's replacing.

banana puree

pumpkin puree

Question 4 of 10

True or false: Icing and frosting are the same thing.

true

false

Frosting and icing are not the same. Icing dries hard and you can put a plethora of decorations on top of it, including more icing. Frosting is thicker and easier to mold. Frosting is the tastier of the two.

It depends: On a cake, frosting and icing are different, but when used on a cookie they are the same.

Question 5 of 10

Add baking powder to your cake and it rises. What is in baking powder that makes this happen?

yeast

baking soda plus cornstarch

baking soda, an acid, and cornstarch

Most baking sodas are "dual action," meaning they work twice. The baking soda and acid (like cream of tartar) react when wet to produce carbon dioxide gas. The gas expands upon contact with heat in the oven.

Question 6 of 10

When was the chocolate chip cookie invented?

1730

1830

1930

The chocolate chip cookie was first made in 1930 by Ruth Wakefield. She added small pieces of Nestle semi-sweet chocolate to her cookie dough, creating the popular Toll House cookie recipe.

Question 7 of 10

Baking at high altitudes without adjusting the recipe can be tricky and cause cookies to dry out and cakes to fall in. What ingredient can you add to elevate your results?

liquids

High altitudes can dry out baked goods, so try adding a few extra tablespoons of liquid to compensate. Fat and sugar can weaken the protein in the flour, causing what you're baking to fall apart.

fats

sugar

Question 8 of 10

True or false: The English published the first pie recipe.

true

false

Pies are a staple in traditional English cuisine, but they were first enjoyed by the Greeks and Romans. The pies were mostly of the savory meat variety, but the Romans had their own version of cheesecake for dessert.

It depends: The English probably wrote the first sweet pie recipe.

Question 9 of 10

True or false: The best way to store bread is in the refrigerator.

true

false

It depends: If the bread is filled with something perishable, like meat, put it in the fridge.

Tightly wrap or freeze your bread. Only put it in the fridge if some part of it is perishable. Otherwise, it might go stale faster.

Question 10 of 10

About how much white flour can you swap out of the average recipe for the whole-wheat variety?

one quarter of the white flour can be substituted for whole-wheat flour

half of the white flour can be substituted for whole-wheat flour

Add some protein, calcium and fiber to your bread by adding whole wheat flour in place of half of the white flour called for in the recipe.